Invisible microphone assembly for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A microphone assembly for a vehicle headliner includes a housing arranged to be received within a substrate layer of the headliner and having an upper portion and a lower portion. A circuit board is mounted in the upper portion and has a microphone element coupled thereto. An insert bracket includes a base and a shaft member extending upwardly therefrom, the base having a plurality of apertures aligned with the shaft member, wherein the shaft member engages the lower portion to connect the insert bracket to the housing. A sealing gasket having at least one channel defining an air path extending therethrough is arranged to be received within the shaft member and extend between the base and the upper portion, providing acoustic sealing between the insert bracket and the housing such that the air path directs sound from a cabin of the vehicle through the apertures to the microphone element.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.17/136,468 filed Dec. 29, 2020, which in turn claims the benefit of U.S.provisional application Ser. No. 62/955,134 filed Dec. 30, 2019, thedisclosures of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety byreference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments relate to an invisible microphone assembly for a vehicle,such as for a headliner.

BACKGROUND

Much effort has been expended to create a quiet cabin environment invehicles. A typical goal in vehicle design is to minimize audible noisein the cabin. Consumers desire to be isolated from road noise,powertrain noise, and other unwanted noise sources. Vehicles may includevarious insulating materials between the cabin and noise producingcomponents. However, the insulating materials may be expensive and addweight to the vehicle. Some modern vehicles include a noise managementsystem to reduce the audible noise in a vehicle cabin. The noisemanagement system may also operate by generating noises or sounds thatenhance the driving experience.

The noise management system in a vehicle may operate by usingmicrophones and loudspeakers to control the noise or sound. The activenoise management system may detect audio signals via the microphones.The microphone signals may be processed and loudspeaker output signalsmay be generated. In addition, other communication systems in thevehicle rely on microphones placed in various positions of the vehicle.The addition of speech and active noise control microphones has resultedin visible microphone grills that disrupt the intended clean look of thevehicle interior, such as the headliner.

SUMMARY

In one or more embodiments, a microphone assembly for a headliner of avehicle includes a housing arranged to be received within a substratelayer of the headliner, the housing having an upper portion and a lowerportion. A circuit board is mounted in the upper portion, the circuitboard having a microphone element coupled thereto. The microphoneassembly further includes an insert bracket including a base and a shaftmember extending upwardly therefrom, the base having a plurality ofapertures aligned with the shaft member, wherein the shaft memberengages the lower portion to connect the insert bracket to the housing.A sealing gasket having at least one channel defining an air pathextending therethrough is arranged to be received within the shaftmember and extend between the base and the upper portion, the sealinggasket providing acoustic sealing between the insert bracket and thehousing such that the air path directs sound from a cabin of the vehiclethrough the apertures to the microphone element.

In one or more embodiments, a headliner assembly for a vehicle includesa headliner including a substrate layer having an opening and anA-surface layer that is acoustically transparent and is exposed to acabin of the vehicle. The headliner assembly includes a microphoneassembly including a housing arranged to be received within thesubstrate layer, the housing having an upper portion and a lowerportion. A circuit board is mounted in the upper portion, the circuitboard having a microphone element coupled thereto. The headlinerassembly further includes an insert bracket including a base and a shaftmember extending upwardly therefrom, the base having a plurality ofapertures aligned with the shaft member, wherein the shaft memberengages the lower portion to connect the insert bracket to the housing.A sealing gasket having at least one channel defining an air pathextending therethrough is arranged to be received within the shaftmember and extend between the base and the upper portion, the sealinggasket providing acoustic sealing between the insert bracket and thehousing such that the air path directs sound from the cabin of thevehicle through the apertures to the microphone element.

In one or more embodiments, a microphone array for a headliner of avehicle includes at least one housing arranged to be received within asubstrate layer of the headliner, and a plurality of circuit boardsmounted in the at least one housing, each circuit board having amicrophone element coupled thereto. The microphone array includes aninsert bracket including a base and a plurality of spaced shaft membersextending upwardly therefrom, the base having a plurality of aperturesaligned with each shaft member, wherein each shaft member connects tothe at least one housing. The microphone array further includesplurality of sealing gaskets each having at least one channel definingan air path extending therethrough, each sealing gasket arranged to bereceived within one of the plurality of spaced shaft members and extendbetween the base and the at least one housing. The plurality of sealinggaskets provide acoustic sealing between the insert bracket and the atleast one housing such that the air path directs sound from a cabin ofthe vehicle through the apertures to each microphone element.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a noise or sound management system within a vehicleenvironment;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional illustration of a microphone assembly in aheadliner including an insert bracket and a sealing gasket according toone or more embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a microphone assembly according to oneor more embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of an insert bracket according to oneor more embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cross-section of the insert bracket ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of the microphone assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal section of the microphone assembly of FIG.3;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the cross-section of the microphoneassembly shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the longitudinal section of themicrophone assembly shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a top perspective view of a sealing gasket according to oneor more embodiments;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional illustration of an array of microphoneassemblies in a headliner which includes a corresponding insert bracketaccording to one or more embodiments; and

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional illustration of an array of microphoneassemblies in a headliner which includes a common housing and acorresponding insert bracket according to one or more embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosedherein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodimentsare merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in variousand alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale; somefeatures may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particularcomponents. Therefore, specific structural and functional detailsdisclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as arepresentative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variouslyemploy the present invention.

Modern vehicles may include a variety of sound management systems anddevices that cooperate to manage the aural environment within thevehicle. For example, a vehicle may include a road noise cancellation(RNC) system that is configured to reduce the amount of road noise heardby vehicle occupants. Such systems typically operate by receiving inputfrom one or more microphones and outputting a signal to one or moreloudspeakers that modifies the sound pattern. The systems can maskunwanted road and engine noise, making the cabin seem quieter.Additional applications may include hands-free communication systems andtelephone applications. Other vehicle sound management systems mayinclude active noise control (ANC) and in-car communication (ICC)systems.

These vehicle systems use one or more microphones to receive sound/noiseinput. The microphones may be installed at various locations within thevehicle. Sound propagates through air as a pressure wave. A source maygenerate a sound by causing a vibration in the air (or other medium).These vibrations then propagate from the source through the medium(e.g., air). A microphone may operate by receiving these pressure wavesand converting the pressure waves into an electrical signal. Toaccomplish this, the microphone may need to be exposed to the pressurewave.

Existing in-vehicle microphones receive the pressure wave throughopenings that expose the cabin air to the microphone elements. As anexample, a microphone may be installed in a headliner of the vehicle.The microphone assembly for installation in the headliner may include avisible A-surface grill that defines one or more openings. The A-surfacemay be that surface that is visible within the vehicle cabin. Themicrophone assembly may include a housing that attaches to the grillfrom a B-side of the headliner. The B-side may be that surface oppositethe A-surface and is generally not visible within the cabin. Thesegrills are generally visible within the cabin and may be aestheticallydispleasing. In addition, the openings can allow dust and moistureintrusion into the microphone elements which may cause reducedperformance.

The increase in the number of headliner microphone grills has created aneed for a microphone that does not require an A-surface grill, i.e. an“invisible” microphone. One challenge of integrating a microphone intothe headliner is that the headliner manufacturer typically allows amaximum circular cut-out diameter in the headliner substrate material of6 mm. This maximum hole size of 6 mm has been determined to create novisible evidence at the A-surface of the headliner and therefore it isnot visible to a cabin occupant. A microphone assembly requires a largersize than 6 mm in diameter and therefore a microphone cannot be designedto fit within this 6 mm hole in the headliner. Therefore, the microphoneneeds to be located further away from the headliner and that may lead tosealing problems and nonlinear microphone frequency response.

Embodiments disclosed herein include an invisible microphone assemblywhich may be built into the headliner of a vehicle, forming a headlinerassembly. A cut-out location for the microphone assembly is providedthat may be larger than 6 mm in diameter. Embodiments include an insertbracket that is integrated between the substrate and A-surface layers ofthe headliner and a sealing gasket within the microphone assembly, asdescribed further below.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a vehicle 100 that includes acontroller 102. The controller 102 may include a microprocessor andmemory to implement various features and functions. For example, thecontroller 102 may be part of an RNC system or an ANC system. Thecontroller 102 may be part of an ICC system that manages in-vehiclecommunications. The controller 102 may also be configured as a soundprocessor to implement telematics features such as speech recognitionand hands-free system operation.

The controller 102 may be electrically connected to one or moremicrophones 104. The microphones 104 may be in different positionswithin the vehicle 100. The microphones 104 may be configured togenerate an electrical signal representing sound or noise at theposition of the microphones 104. The controller 102 may be electricallyconnected to one or more loudspeakers 106. The loudspeakers 106 may beconfigured to generate sound based on signals received from thecontroller 102. The vehicle 100 may further include a user interface 108in electrical communication with the controller 102. In some examples,the user interface 108 may be a touch-screen display that can displaycontent from the controller 102 and provide inputs (e.g., menuselections) to the controller 102. The user interface 108 may alsoinclude buttons and switches. The configuration and usage of the userinterface 108 may depend on the purpose of the controller 102.

The vehicle 100 may further include a headliner (not shown in FIG. 1).The headliner may be configured to line an interior of a roof of thevehicle 100. The headliner may be configured to provide noise andthermal insulation within the cabin of the vehicle. The headliner mayalso be configured for mounting various components. For example, lights,control panels, and microphones may be mounted to the headliner.

FIGS. 2-3 and 5-9 illustrate an invisible microphone assembly 202 thatis configured to be installed in a vehicle headliner 110, forming aheadliner assembly 200. While the embodiments shown and described hereinare directed toward installation in a vehicle headliner, the conceptsand assemblies may also be applied to other areas of the vehicle cabin(e.g., side trim, dashboard, console). With reference to FIG. 2, thevehicle headliner 110 may be a multi-layer construction including asubstrate layer 112 that provides the backing and structural integrityof the headliner 110. The substrate layer 112 may be constructed of acomposite material having application-specific stiffness, strength, andinsulating characteristics. The substrate layer 112 is covered by amiddle layer 114 which may be constructed from a foam material which, inturn, is covered by an A-surface layer 116 which may be constructed froma cloth material. The A-surface layer 116 may be an acousticallytransparent material that allows sound waves to penetrate through thematerial. For example, the A-surface layer 116 may be an acoustic fabricconfigured to be acoustically transparent. Acoustically transparentfabrics may include fabrics with an open weave that permits air to passthrough easily.

Acoustically transparent materials may be evaluated based on a noisereduction coefficient (NRC) that quantifies the sound absorption of amaterial. For example, the NRC may be measured by the Standard TestMethod for Sound Absorption and Sound Absorption Coefficients by theReverberation Room Method defined by ASTM International (ASTM C423-17).The NRC may represent the amount of sound that is absorbed by thematerial. An ideally acoustically transparent material may have an NRCthat is zero. In practice, the acoustically transparent material shouldhave a low NRC.

The middle layer 114 may be bonded or otherwise secured to the substratelayer 112, and the A-surface layer 116 may be bonded or otherwisesecured to the middle layer 114. In some configurations, the A-surfacelayer 116 may be stretch fit across the middle layer 114. The substratelayer 112 may define one or more openings 118, where the shape of eachopening 118 may be rectangular, circular, or any other suitable shape.The middle layer 114 may define one or more cavities 120 generallyaligned with each opening 118.

The headliner assembly 200 includes a microphone assembly 202 having ahousing 204. The housing 204 may be configured to enclose and providestructural support for elements of the microphone assembly 202. Thehousing 204 may be formed of a plastic material but is not limited assuch. As best shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the microphone assembly 202 mayinclude a connector 206 that is configured to receive a matingelectrical connector (not shown) to transfer electrical signals from themicrophone assembly 202 to another system (e.g., controller 102). Theconnector 206 may include one or more electrically conductive pins 208or recesses configured to engage corresponding conductive elements ofthe mating connector. The microphone assembly 202 may include a circuitboard (e.g. printed circuit board assembly (PCBA)) 216 mounted withinthe housing 204. The microphone assembly 202 may include one or moremicrophone elements 218 coupled to or integrated with the circuit board216.

The microphone element 218 may have various configurations. Themicrophone element 218 may utilize microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)technology and may be an integrated circuit/sensor assembly that ismounted to the circuit board 216. In some configurations, an integratedmicrophone module may be installed in place of the circuit board 216.The microphone element 218 may be a piezoelectric microphone or acondenser microphone. The microphone element 218 may be configured toconvert a sound wave at the sensor into an electrical signal. Electricalconnection of the microphone element 218 to the circuit board 216 maydepend on the type of microphone technology utilized. In someconfigurations, the microphone element 218 may be directly coupled ascomponents mounted on the circuit board 216. In some configurations,electrical leads from the microphone element 218 may be electricallyconnected by soldering to the circuit board 216. In some configurations,the microphone element 218 may include a built-in signal processingunit.

The circuit board 216 may include other electrical/electronic componentsfor cooperating with the microphone element 218. The components mayinclude filters and power management features. The electricallyconductive portions of the connector 206 may be electrically coupled totraces of the circuit board 216 to transfer signals between the circuitboard 216 and the external controller 102. Some features of the circuitboard 216 may be included in the microphone element 218.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2-9, the microphone assembly 202 includes aninsert bracket 220 which is provided for interfacing with and connectingto the housing 204. The insert bracket 220 is arranged to be receivedwithin the substrate layer 112 and the middle layer 114 of the headliner110, beneath the A-surface layer 116. The insert bracket 220 includes abase 222 with a hollow shaft member 224 extending upwardly therefrom.The base 222 includes a central area 226 aligned with the shaft member224, where a plurality of small apertures 228 are provided in thecentral area 226. These apertures 228 provide a sound path from themicrophone assembly 202 through the A-surface layer 116 and into thevehicle cabin. The base 222 also provides a backing structure for thecloth A-surface layer 116 so that no depression or evidence of themicrophone assembly 202 is presented to the cabin interior. The shaftmember 224 may be configured to be received in the opening 118 providedin the substrate layer 112, whereas the base 222 may be configured to bereceived in the cavity 120 provided in the middle layer 114. Althoughthe base 222 is illustrated herein as being relatively thin and having agenerally circular or disc shape, it is understood that the base 222 isnot limited to this configuration and that other shapes and thicknessesmay alternatively be employed. Similarly, the shaft member 224 is notlimited to the generally rectangular shape depicted herein.

The microphone assembly 202 may further include a sealing gasket 230that is arranged to be received within the shaft member 224 tofacilitate connection of the insert bracket 220 to the housing 204. Thesealing gasket 230 defines at least one continuous channel 232 whichserves as an air path for sound to travel from the apertures 228 throughthe substrate layer 112 to the microphone element 218. The sealinggasket 230 may be formed of a resilient material, such as rubber, andmay be coupled to the circuit board 216. The sealing gasket 230 may aidassembly of the housing 204 and the insert bracket 220 to compensate forany manufacturing tolerances between these elements. Being resilient,the sealing gasket 230 can adjust for any slight discrepancies in thealignment of the shaft member 224 of the insert bracket 220 and thehousing 204. The sealing gasket 230 may also provide an acoustic sealingfunction between the two plastic parts, the shaft member 224 and thehousing 204, to prevent leakage of air that enters the channel 232 fromexiting at undesired locations. As with the shaft member 224, thesealing gasket 230 is not limited to the generally rectangular shapedepicted herein, and other shapes and configurations are fullycontemplated.

The insert bracket 220 is configured to attach to the housing 204 andmount to a side of the substrate layer 112. In some configurations, thebase 222 may be bonded to the substrate layer 112 with an adhesive. Asbest shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the housing 204 may have a first or upperportion 234 and a second or lower portion 236. The upper portion 234 mayhouse the circuit board 216 and the coupled microphone element 218, andthe lower portion 236 may engage the shaft member 224 for connecting theinsert bracket 220 to the housing 204. For example, as best shown inFIGS. 4 and 5, the shaft member 224 may include a mounting feature suchas at least one tab 238 extending therefrom, wherein each tab 238 isarranged to be received in a corresponding groove 240 in the lowerportion 236 of the housing 204 to achieve a snap fit connection betweenthe shaft member 224 and the housing 204. In the depicted arrangement,the lower portion 236 is received on and secured to an outer side of theshaft member 224. Of course, it is understood that the shaft member 224could alternatively contain a groove and the lower portion 236 have atab, that the inner and outer positions of the lower portion 236 andshaft member 224 could be reversed, or that the housing 204 and theinsert bracket 220 could be secured together via another mechanicalconfiguration or via an adhesive.

Although depicted as being vertically oriented with respect to thesubstrate layer 112, the shaft member 224 may be oriented at anglesother than ninety degrees relative to the substrate layer 112 toemphasize sound collection from different directions. The sealing gasket230 may also be adjusted accordingly to create a continuous air paththrough the substrate layer 112 to the microphone element 218. As such,the one or more openings 118 may cut through the substrate layer 112 atdifferent angles.

In the embodiment illustrated herein in FIGS. 7 and 9-10, the sealinggasket 230 defines two longitudinally extending channels 232 separatedby a central member 242. The central member 242 provides structuralsupport for the sealing gasket 230 but may not extend the full lengththereof. The sealing gasket 230 is depicted herein as having generallyrectangular channels 232 which define rectangular air paths. Withreference to FIG. 7, the channels 232 may have a larger cross-section ata bottom region 244 of the sealing gasket 230 adjacent the base 222 ascompared to a middle region 246 of the sealing gasket 230, and thechannels 232 may merge into a common air path at a top region 248 of thesealing gasket 230 adjacent the circuit board 216 and microphone element218, wherein the microphone element 218 is in fluid communication withthe channel(s) 232 and air path(s). It is understood that the shape andconfiguration of the channels 232 and defined air paths are not limitedto this example, and other numbers (e.g. single or more than two) andshapes of the channels 232 and air paths are possible. For example, thechannels 232 could alternatively have a uniform cross-sectional areaalong the length of the sealing gasket 230. The cross-sectional area andlength of the channel(s) 232 and defined air path(s) may be selected toresult in a predetermined frequency response.

As best shown in FIGS. 4-5 and 10, the sealing gasket 230 may have oneor more protrusions 250 extending outwardly therefrom which are eachsized to be received within a corresponding opening 252 provided in theshaft member 224. This mating connection between the sealing gasket 230and the shaft member 224 may serve to locate these elements with respectto one another, ensuring proper location of the sealing gasket 230within the shaft member 224 and ensuring the desired positioning of thesealing gasket 230 with respect to the upper portion 234 of the housing204 when the lower portion 236 is joined with the insert bracket 220.

The microphone element 218 may be mounted to the circuit board 216 in avariety of ways. The mounting may depend on the location of a port orreceiver (not shown) of the microphone element 218. The port or receivermay be the part of the microphone element 218 that is exposed to thesound wave. In some configurations, the microphone element 218 may bemounted such that the port is aligned with the air path formed by thesealing gasket 230 such the air path directs sound from the vehiclecabin to the microphone element(s) 218. In some configurations, themicrophone element 218 may be mounted on an opposite side of the circuitboard 216 (e.g., opposite the air path) and the circuit board 216 maydefine a conduit 254 (see FIGS. 6-9) to extend the air path to themicrophone element 218. The port of the microphone element 218 may bemounted toward the conduit 254 defined by the circuit board 216. In someconfigurations, the microphone element 218 may define a cylindrical port(not shown) that is aligned with the air path. In one example, theconduit 254 in the circuit board 216 may receive the cylindrical port.

In one or more embodiments, multiple microphone assemblies 202 may beused to create an invisible microphone array 300 as illustrated in FIG.11. In this example, a plurality of separate housings 204, eachincluding a circuit board 216 and coupled microphone element 218, areprovided, and an insert bracket 220 having a plurality of spaced shaftmembers 224 is utilized to connect to the separate housings 204. Thecomponents and features of the microphone assembly 202, the housing 204,the insert bracket 220, and the sealing gasket 230 described inconnection with FIGS. 2-10 may be equally applicable to the array 300 ofFIG. 11. In an alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12, aninvisible microphone array 400 is shown which includes a common housing204 into which a plurality of circuit boards 216 and coupled microphoneelements 218 are mounted, and an insert bracket 220 having a pluralityof spaced shaft members 224 is utilized to connect to the common housing204. Again, the components and features of the microphone assembly 202,the housing 204, the insert bracket 220, and the sealing gasket 230described in connection with FIGS. 2-10 may be equally applicable to thearray 400 of FIG. 12.

It is understood that directional terms such as, but not limited to,top, bottom, upper and lower are used herein to describe the relativeorientation of elements and are not intended to be limiting.

The invisible microphone assembly 202 (and arrays 300, 400) utilizingthe disclosed insert bracket 220 provides the advantage that themicrophone assembly 202 is concealed from view within the vehicle cabin.Occupants within the vehicle may be unable to detect the presence of themicrophone assembly 202, allowing for a more consistent, unbrokenheadliner surface than previous grill designs. Another advantage is thatthe air paths are covered by the A-surface layer 116 so that dust andother contaminants cannot enter and, as such, fewer issues with reducedperformance can be expected. Embodiments disclosed herein also allow themicrophone assembly 202 to be located closer to the A-surface layer 116which results in more linear frequency response of the microphoneelement 218. The sealing gasket 230 joins the housing 204 and the insertbracket 220 with a sealed connection, defining the air path(s) from thevehicle cabin to the microphone element 218. Accordingly, the microphoneassembly 202 provides improved rear noise rejection due to the properacoustic sealing provided by the sealing gasket 230 between the vehiclecabin and the microphone element 218.

While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended thatthese embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather,the words used in the specification are words of description rather thanlimitation, and it is understood that various changes may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may becombined to form further embodiments of the invention.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A microphone assembly for a headliner of a vehicle,comprising: a housing arranged to be received within a substrate layerof the headliner; a circuit board mounted in the housing, the circuitboard having a microphone element coupled thereto; an insert bracketincluding a base and a shaft member extending upwardly therefrom, thebase having a plurality of apertures aligned with the shaft member,wherein the shaft member is arranged to connect the insert bracket tothe housing; and a sealing gasket having at least one channel definingan air path extending therethrough, the sealing gasket arranged to bereceived within the shaft member such that the air path directs soundthrough the apertures to the microphone element.
 22. The microphoneassembly of claim 21, wherein the sealing gasket is coupled to thecircuit board and the microphone element is aligned with the air path.23. The microphone assembly of claim 21, wherein the base is covered byan A-surface layer of the headliner, the A-surface layer constructedfrom an acoustically transparent material.
 24. The microphone assemblyof claim 21, wherein the base is arranged to be secured to the substratelayer and received within a cavity in a middle foam layer of theheadliner.
 25. The microphone assembly of claim 21, wherein the shaftmember and the housing are connected via a snap fit arrangement.
 26. Themicrophone assembly of claim 21, wherein the sealing gasket includes twolongitudinally extending channels separated by a central member.
 27. Themicrophone assembly of claim 26, wherein the channels have a largercross-section at a bottom region of the sealing gasket compared with amiddle region of the sealing gasket, and the channels merge into acommon air path at a top region of the sealing gasket.
 28. Themicrophone assembly of claim 21, wherein the sealing gasket has one ormore protrusions extending outwardly therefrom which are each sized tobe received within a corresponding opening provided in the shaft memberfor locating the sealing gasket with respect to the shaft member.
 29. Aheadliner assembly for a vehicle, comprising: a headliner including asubstrate layer having an opening and an A-surface layer that isacoustically transparent and is exposed to a cabin of the vehicle; and amicrophone assembly including a housing arranged to be received withinthe substrate layer; a circuit board mounted in the housing, the circuitboard having a microphone element coupled thereto; an insert bracketincluding a base and a shaft member extending upwardly therefrom, thebase having a plurality of apertures aligned with the shaft member,wherein the shaft member is arranged to connect the insert bracket tothe housing; and a sealing gasket having at least one channel definingan air path extending therethrough, the sealing gasket arranged to bereceived within the shaft member such that the air path directs soundthrough the apertures to the microphone element.
 30. The headlinerassembly of claim 29, wherein the sealing gasket is coupled to thecircuit board and the microphone element is aligned with the air path.31. The headliner assembly of claim 29, wherein the base is covered bythe A-surface layer.
 32. The headliner assembly of claim 29, wherein thebase is arranged to be secured to the substrate layer and receivedwithin a cavity of a middle foam layer of the headliner.
 33. Theheadliner assembly of claim 29, wherein the sealing gasket includes twolongitudinally extending channels separated by a central member.
 34. Theheadliner assembly of claim 33, wherein the channels have a largercross-section at a bottom region of the sealing gasket compared with amiddle region of the sealing gasket, and the channels merge into acommon air path at a top region of the sealing gasket.
 35. The headlinerassembly of claim 29, wherein the sealing gasket has one or moreprotrusions extending outwardly therefrom which are each sized to bereceived within a corresponding opening provided in the shaft member forlocating the sealing gasket with respect to the shaft member.
 36. Amicrophone array for a headliner of a vehicle, comprising: at least onehousing arranged to be received within a substrate layer of theheadliner; a plurality of circuit boards mounted in the at least onehousing, each circuit board having a microphone element coupled thereto;an insert bracket including a base and a plurality of spaced shaftmembers extending upwardly therefrom, the base having a plurality ofapertures aligned with each shaft member, wherein each shaft member isarranged to connect to the at least one housing; and a plurality ofsealing gaskets each having at least one channel defining an air pathextending therethrough, each sealing gasket arranged to be receivedwithin one of the plurality of spaced shaft members such that the airpath directs sound through the apertures to each microphone element. 37.The microphone array of claim 36, wherein the at least one housingincludes a plurality of separate housings, each separate housing havingone of the plurality of circuit boards and coupled microphone elementsmounted therein.
 38. The microphone array of claim 36, wherein the atleast one housing includes a common housing in which the plurality ofcircuit boards and coupled microphone elements are mounted.
 39. Themicrophone array of claim 36, wherein the at least one housing includesan upper portion and a lower portion, the plurality of circuit boardsand coupled microphone elements mounted in the upper portion, and thelower portion interfacing with the plurality of spaced shaft members toconnect the insert bracket to the at least one housing.
 40. Themicrophone array of claim 36, wherein the base is arranged to be securedto the substrate layer, received within a cavity in a middle foam layerof the headliner, and covered by an A-surface layer of the headliner,the A-surface layer constructed from an acoustically transparentmaterial.